Near Infrared Reflecting Composition and Coverings for Architectural Openings Incorporating Same

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are compositions that can be used in forming products with increased near infrared (IR) reflective capability. A composition can include IR reflective and/or IR transmissive non-white pigments and can be formed with suitable viscosity so as to successfully coat substrates, e.g., yarns, suitable for use in forming coverings for architectural openings, e.g., window coverings. Also disclosed are textile substrates coated with the compositions, including textile substrates coated with compositions that include abrasive, inorganic IR reflective dark pigments.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims filing benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/419,481 having a filing date of Dec. 3, 2010,which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Various different types of coverings exist for placement inarchitectural openings such as windows, doors, archways, and the like.Such coverings include window blinds and shades. Window shades ofteninclude a textile woven with polymer-coated yarns that provide strength,flexibility, and abrasion resistance. The core yarns are generallyformed of polyester, glass, polyolefin, and the like. The polymercoatings of the yarns can include a polymer resin such as poly(vinylchloride) (PVC), polyolefins, polyesters, and so forth. Coatings havealso been formulated to include a variety of additives includingpigments, flame-retardant materials, and UV light absorbers.

There is a growing interest in improving coverings for architecturalopenings so as to better control solar energy impinging upon astructure. Through passive thermal management of solar radiation, energyconsumption can be dramatically decreased. Moreover, increasing globaleconomic development is expected to lead to growing demand for dwindlingenergy reserves. This combined with increasing global temperatures isexpected to elevate the search for improved passive thermal managementtechniques from an option to a necessity.

Improved energy management through design of architectural coverings isnot new. For instance, the above described textile materials have beenrecognized as providing good heat insulating properties. White pigments,such as titanium dioxide-based pigments, have been utilized to improvesolar control. For example, an article formed with titaniumdioxide-based pigment can reflect more than 70% of the near infrared(NIR) radiation. As the heat generated on an article depends primarilyupon the NIR reflective properties of the article, use of a highlyreflective white pigment can minimize heat generation.

Unfortunately, in order to form a non-white covering for anarchitectural opening, a price has been paid in passive solarmanagement. Darker colored materials including conventional carbonblack-based pigments will reflect only about 5% of the impinging solarradiation. The increased absorbance of NIR leads to increased surfacetemperature of the covering itself, as well as increased temperatures ofthe surroundings. Moreover, the thermal stress placed on the darkermaterials over time leads to a shorter life span for the coverings.

Infrared (IR) reflective pigments and IR transparent pigments have beenknown for some time (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,174,360, 6,521,038, and7,416,601, which are incorporated herein by reference). These materialshave been suggested for use in military applications, in roofing, and ininks. Unfortunately, these materials present processing and usedifficulties in other applications. For instance, IR reflectiveinorganic pigments are highly abrasive, and as such they have not beenutilized as coloring agents for yarns/textiles. In addition, the pigmentadd-on level necessary to form desired dark colors often makes thecomposition too highly viscous for processing conditions necessary tocoat certain substrates. For instance, in order to obtain a blackcoating, a black pigment will often be added to a pigment composition ata concentration of about 20 parts per hundred parts resin (phr), withthe resulting formulation having a viscosity of about 10,000 cP, makingcertain processing methods (e.g., fiber coating methods) impractical ifnot impossible.

In view of the above, a need currently exists for compositions that canbe used to form materials in non-white, deeper tones for coveringarchitectural openings. More specifically, a need exists for non-whitecompositions and products such as window coverings that exhibit goodsolar management properties.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, disclosed is a composition for coating acomponent of an architectural opening, e.g., for coating fibers used toform a window covering. A composition can include a polymeric resin anda non-white pigment. More specifically, the pigment can be an IRreflective pigment or an IR transparent pigment. In order to adequatelycoat a component, the composition can have a viscosity of less thanabout 5000 cP as measured with a Brookfield RTV at 20 rpm. Thecomposition can be used to form non-white IR reflective coverings. Forinstance, the cured composition can have a CIELAB L* value of less thanabout 90 measured at an observation angle of 25°.

Also disclosed are coverings for architectural openings that incorporatethe cured compositions. For instance, a covering incorporating the abovecured composition can reflect more than about 15% of impinging solarradiation between about 700 and about 2500 nm. A covering can be awindow covering such as a window shade, a window blind, a curtain, anawning, an awning shade, or the like.

Also disclosed are methods for forming a covering for an architecturalopening. For instance, a method can include mixing a polymer resin witha non-white pigment to form a composition, the pigment being an IRreflective pigment or an IR transparent pigment. The method can alsoinclude adjusting the viscosity of the composition such that thecomposition has a viscosity of less than about 5000 cP as measured witha Brookfield RTV at 20 rpm, coating a substrate with the composition,and curing the composition. For example, a composition can coat a yarn,and the coated yarn can then be utilized in forming a woven or nonwoventextile for use in forming a window covering, e.g., a window shade.

According to another embodiment, a method can include coating asubstrate with multiple layers, at least one of which is a compositionthat includes one or more IR reflective or IR transparent pigments orcombinations thereof. According to the method, a first layer can be ahighly reflective IR layer. For example, the first layer can includewhite pigment. In one embodiment the first layer can be more IRreflective than the second layer. Both the first and the second layer oralternatively only the second layer can include one or more non-white IRreflective and or transparent pigments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including thebest mode thereof to one skilled in the art, is set forth moreparticularly in the remainder of the specification, including referenceto the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 graphically illustrates the total solar reflection of threedifferent fabrics all formed with black yarns in both the warp and weft,one of which includes NIR reflective yarns as described herein in thewarp, one of which includes NIR reflective yarns as described herein inboth the warp and weft, and one of which includes traditional yarns madeincluding carbon black pigments as described herein in both the warp andweft.

FIG. 2 graphically illustrates the total solar reflection of threedifferent fabrics formed with black yarns in the warp and dark brownyarns in the weft, one of which includes NIR reflective yarns asdescribed herein in the warp, one of which includes NIR reflective yarnsas described herein in both the warp and weft, and one of which includestraditional yarns as described herein in both the warp and weft.

FIG. 3 graphically illustrates the total solar reflection of threedifferent fabrics formed with black yarns in the warp and gray yarns inthe weft, one of which includes NIR reflective yarns as described hereinin the warp, one of which includes NIR reflective yarns as describedherein in both the warp and weft, and one of which includes traditionalyarns as described herein in both the warp and weft.

FIG. 4 includes IR images of several different fabrics, includingfabrics formed of fibers coated with a composition as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that thepresent discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, andis not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the presentdisclosure.

In general, the present disclosure is directed to a composition that canbe used in forming products with increased NIR reflective capability.More specifically, disclosed compositions can include IR reflectiveand/or IR transmissive non-white pigments. Beneficially, thecompositions can be formed with suitable viscosity so as to successfullycoat substrates suitable for use in forming coverings for architecturalopenings. For example, a composition can coat fibers or yarns that canbe used in forming IR reflective non-white woven window coverings. Afabric including a coated yarn can exhibit greatly increasedreflectivity across the NIR and IR spectra as compared to a similarfabric utilizing traditional non-white pigments in the yarn coating.

Also disclosed are textile substrates coated with a composition thatincludes inorganic IR reflective pigments. Traditionally, such pigmentshave been considered unsuitable for textile substrates such as yarns dueto the abrasive nature of the pigments. These problems have beenovercome in the present disclosure by providing an intermediate coatinglayer between the substrate and the composition that includes theabrasive pigments.

A coating composition can include a polymeric resin that can be either athermoset or a thermoplastic resin. By way of example, a coatingcomposition can include a resin that is a polyvinyl chloride, acrylic,polyester, polyamide, aramid, polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol,polyolefin, polylactide and the like. A resin polymer can be ahomopolymer or a copolymer. In addition, a copolymer can be a random ora block copolymer. A polymeric resin can include one or more polymers,for instance two or more polymers in a polymeric blend.

When considering a thermoset polymer resin, a composition can alsoinclude a crosslinking agent. By way of example, a thermoset polymerresin can be crosslinked by use of an isocyanate crosslinking agent, anorganometallic crosslinking agent, and the like.

In one preferred embodiment, the composition can include an emulsionformed from a polymer in an aqueous medium. In general, an emulsion caninclude a high molecular weight resin; typically a polyurethane, acrylicor methacrylic resin can be utilized in forming an emulsion-basedcoating composition.

The polymer of the composition can be polymerized at any point duringprocessing of the composition. For instance, a composition can be formedincluding monomers and/or oligomers, and these substituents can bepolymerized during or following formation of the composition. By way ofexample, a composition can be utilized to coat a substrate followingwhich the coating can be cured during which polymerization can takeplace. According to one embodiment, a composition comprising a mixtureof monomers can be applied to the substrate, and polymerization can beinitiated following the coating process and in conjunction with thecure. Such an embodiment may be particularly beneficial when consideringformation of a thermoset coating.

In one preferred embodiment, the composition can include a plastisolformed from a vinyl polymer and a plasticizer. In general, a plastisolcan include a plasticizer and a high molecular weight resin, typically apolyvinyl chloride (PVC) or an acrylic, and can form a flexible,permanently plasticized coating composition.

As stated, polymers encompassed herein include homopolymers andcopolymers. For example, a PVC polymer in a coating composition can be aPVC homopolymer or a copolymer. A PVC copolymer can be formed from vinylchloride monomer and at least one other monomer chosen from the groupconsisting of methacrylate, acrylonitrile, styrene, phenyleneoxide,acrylic acid, maleic anhydride, vinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate.

A plasticizer is generally a compound with low volatility that has theability to disperse polymeric resin particles of the plastisol. Aplasticizer can also facilitate adherence of the polymeric resin to asubstrate. Typical plasticizers include, normal and branched chainalcoholic esters and glycol esters of various mono-, di- and tri-basicacids, for example esters of phthalic, adipic, sebacic, azelaic, citric,trimellitic (and anhydride) and phosphoric acids; chlorohydrocarbons;esters of long chain alcohols; liquid polyesters; and epoxidized naturaloils, such as linseed and soya oils.

Representative phthalate plasticizers include: di-2-ethylhexylphthalate, n-C6-C8-C10 phthalate, n-C7-C9-C11 phthalate, n-octyl-n-decylphthalate, ditridecyl phthalate, diisonyl phthalate, diisooctylphthalate, diisodecyl phthalate, butylbenzylphthalate, dihexylphthalate, butyl ocytyl phthlate, dicapryl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexylisophthalate, alkyl benzene phthalates, dimethyl phthalate, dibutylphthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, butyl isodecyl phthalate, butyliso-hexyl phthalate, dinonyl phthalate, diisononyl phthalate, dioctylphthalate, hexyl octyl decyl phthalate, didecyl phthalate diisodecylphthalate, diundecyl phthalate, butyl-ethylhexyl phthalate, butylbenzylphthalate, octylbenzyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, diphenylphthalate, alkylaryl phthalates, and 2-ethylhexylisodecyl phthalate.

Additional plasticizers include: abietic derivatives, acetic acidderivatives, adipic acid derivatives (e.g., di-2-ethylhexyl adipate,diisononyl adipate, diisodecyl adipate), azelaic acid derivatives (e.g.,di-2-ethylhexyl azelate), benzoic acid derivatives, polyphenylderivatives, citric acid derivatives, epoxy derivatives (e.g.,epoxidized soybean oil and epoxidized linseed oil), formal derivatives,fumaric acid derivatives, glutaric acid derivatives, glycol derivatives(e.g., dipropylene glycol dibenzoate), and so forth.

The amount of plasticizer included in a composition can depend upon thedesired characteristics of the product to be formed. For instance, ahigher plasticizer level can lead to a lower cold flex temperature ofthe composition, with accompanying decrease in strength and hardness. Ingeneral, a plasticizer, when included in the composition, can be presentin an amount between about 30 and about 60 parts per hundred parts ofthe resin (phr).

A composition can also include at least one of an IR reflective pigmentand an IR transparent pigment. The IR reflective pigment or IRtransparent pigment will exhibit a color, i.e., it will have anabsorption peak in the visible spectrum, between about 390 and about 750nm. In addition, the composition will include an IR reflective or IRtransparent pigment that is a non-white pigment. In one embodiment, theIR reflective pigment or IR transparent pigment can be a black pigment.The composition can also include multiple different pigments. Forinstance, the composition can also include mixtures of pigmentsincluding both non-white and white pigments.

Of course, the composition can include mixtures of IR reflectivepigments and/or IR transparent pigments to provide a coating having adesired color and solar control characteristics. Moreover, a compositioncan include one or more IR reflective pigment(s) and/or IR transparentpigment(s) that are colorless, in addition to the one or more pigmentsthat have a color. Pigments can likewise be transparent in the visiblespectrum or opaque.

In general, a coating can include pigments such that a coating formed ofthe composition can be a non-white coating. By way of example, a curedcoating formed of the composition can have a CIELAB L* value of lessthan about 90, less than about 70, less than about 50, less than about30, less than about 20, or less than about 10, measured at anobservation angle of 25°.

As utilized herein, the term IR reflective pigment generally refers to apigment that, when included in a composition, provides a cured coatingwith a reflectance of NIR radiation, i.e., electromagnetic radiationhaving a wavelength of from about 700 to about 2500 nanometers. By wayof example, a coating formed of a composition including one or more IRreflective pigments can exhibit a solar reflectance that is about 10%,about 15%, or about 20% higher than a similar coating but for theinclusion of the IR reflective pigment. In one embodiment, the UV/VIS/IRspectra of the coating and/or a composite including the coating on asubstrate can be measured according to ASTM E 903-96. The solarreflectance can in one embodiment be calculated according to ASTM E-891in the wavelength range of about 250 to about 2500 nanometers.

An IR reflective pigment can exhibit less than, the same as or greaterreflectivity in the NIR wavelength region than it does in the visibleregion. For example, the ratio of reflectivity in the NIR region to thereflectivity in the visible region can be greater than 1:1, such asabout 2:1, greater than about 3:1, greater than about 10:1, or greaterthan about 15:1.

Any IR reflective pigment as is generally known in the art isencompassed herein. For instance, an IR reflective pigment can be aninorganic oxide pigment. Exemplary IR reflective pigments can include,without limitation, titanium dioxide, zinc sulfide, titanium brownspinel, chromium oxide green, iron oxide red, chrome titanate yellow,and nickel titanate yellow.

IR reflective pigments can include metals and metal alloys of aluminum,chromium, cobalt, iron, copper, manganese, nickel, silver, gold, iron,tin, zinc, bronze, brass. Metal alloys can include zinc-copper alloys,zinc-tin alloys, and zinc-aluminum alloys, among others. Some specificexamples include nickel antimony titanium, nickel niobium titanium,chrome antimony titanium, chrome niobium, chrome tungsten titanium,chrome iron nickel, chromium iron oxide, chromium oxide, chrometitanate, manganese antimony titanium, manganese ferrite, chromiumgreen-black, cobalt titanates, chromites, or phosphates, cobaltmagnesium, and aluminites, iron oxide, iron cobalt ferrite, irontitanium, zinc ferrite, zinc iron chromite, copper chromite, as well ascombinations thereof. Commercially available inorganic IR reflectivepigments include those sold under the trade names Sicopal®, Meteor®, andSicotan®, all available from BASF Corporation, Southfield, Mich. Otherinorganic IR reflective pigments are available from The Shepherd ColorCompany of Cincinnati, Ohio and Ferro of Cleveland, Ohio.

As mentioned, transparent and/or translucent IR reflective pigments canalso be incorporated in disclosed compositions. For example, Solarflair9870 pigment (commercially available from Merck KGaA of Darmstadt,Germany) can be used, which is translucent and essentially colorlesswhen utilized in small amounts.

IR reflective pigments can be homogeneous or heterogeneous. Forinstance, an IR reflective pigment can be a composite material includinga coating on a core material, for instance a silica core coated with ametal, such as copper, or a titanium dioxide-coated mica particle.Exemplary composite pigments including a coloring pigment adsorbed onthe surface of a metallic particle are described in U.S. Pat. No.5,037,475, to Chida, et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.Such colored metallic pigments are commercially available from U.S.Aluminum, Inc., Flemington, N.J., under the trade name FIREFLAKE.

Specific examples of IR reflective pigments can include Sicotan® YellowK 1010, Sicotan® Yellow K 1011/K 1011FG, Sicopal® Yellow K 1120 FG,Sicopal® Yellow K 1160 FG, Sicotan® Yellow K 2001 FG, Sicotan® Yellow K2011 FG, Sicotan® Yellow NBK 2085, Sicotan® Yellow K 2111 FG, Sicotan®Yellow K 2112 FG, Meteor® Plus Buff 9379, Meteor® Plus Buff 9379 FF,Meteor® Plus Buff 9399 FF, Meteor® Buff 7302, Meteor® Plus Golden 9304,Sicotan® Orange K 2383, Sicotrans® Red K 2819, Sicotrans® Red K 2915,Meteor® Plus Red-Buff 9384, Sicopal® Brown K 2595, Sicotan® Brown K2611, Sicotan® Brown K 2711, Sicopal® Brown K 2795 FG, Meteor® PlusBrown 9730, Meteor® Plus Brown 9770, Sicotan®Brown NBK 2755, Sicopal®Blue K 6310, Meteor® Plus Blue 9538, Sicopal® Green K 9110, Sicopal®Green K 9710, Meteor® Plus Green 9444, Meteor® Plus Black 9875, Meteor®Plus Black 9880, Meteor® Plus Black 9887, Meteor® Plus Black 9891,Sicopal® Black K 0095 from BASF; Blue 211, Blue 214, Blue 385, Blue 424,Green 187B, Green 223, Green 410, Green 260, Yellow 10P110, Yellow10P225, Yellow 10P270, Brown 10P857, Brown 10P835, Brown 10P850, Black10P922, Black 411A from Shepard Color Company; and 22-5091 PK, 22-5096PK, 22-4050 PK, 21-4047 PK, 23-10408 PK, 26-10550 PK, 24-775 PK,24-10204 PK, 24-10430 PK, 24-10466 PK, V-9415 Yellow, V-9416 Yellow,10415 Golden Yellow, 10411 Golden Yellow, 10364 Brown, 10201 EclipseBlack, V-780 IR BRN Black, 10241 Forest Green, V-9248 Blue, V-9250Bright Blue, F-5686 Turquoise, 10202 Eclipse Black, V-13810 Red, V-12600IR Cobalt Green, V-12650 Hi IR Green, V-778 IR Brn Black, V-799 BrnBlack, 10203 Eclipse Blue Black from Ferro.

The shape and size of the IR reflective pigments are not particularlylimited. For instance, a pigment can be spherical, rod-shaped ofamorphous shape, or any other geometric shape.

Often, IR reflective pigments define a flat flake shape. A flake-shapedpigment can have a thickness of, e.g., up to about 10 micrometers (μm),for instance between about 0.5 μm and about 10 μm, or between about 1 μmand about 5 μm. In one embodiment, a thin flake particle can have amaximum width of between about 10 μm and about 150 μm, for instance,between about 20 μm and about 100 μm. An individual flat flake can haveany shape, e.g., flat surfaces, uneven surfaces, round or jagged edges,and so forth.

When present, a composition can include one or more IR reflectivepigment(s) in an amount of up to about 50 phr. For example, acomposition can include one or more IR reflective pigments in an amountbetween about 3 phr and about 40 phr or between about 5 phr and about 15phr.

A composition can include one or more IR transparent pigments, inaddition to or alternative to one or more IR reflective pigments. Asused herein, the term IR transparent pigment generally refers to apigment that is substantially transparent in the near-infraredwavelength region (about 700 to about 2500 nanometers), such as isdescribed in United States Patent Application Publication No.2004/0191540 to Jakob', et al., which is incorporated herein byreference. An IR transparent pigment can generally have an averagetransmission of at least about 70% in the NIR spectrum.

An IR transparent pigment can be colored or colorless and can be opaqueor transparent. In general, however, an IR transparent pigment canabsorb in the visible spectrum in at least one wavelength and canprovide color to a cured coating formed with the composition. Forinstance, an IR transparent black pigment can be incorporated in acomposition.

In one embodiment, an IR transparent pigment can exhibit reflectance inthe NIR spectrum. This reflectance can vary depending upon thewavelength. For instance, the overall amount of reflectance can increasewith increasing wavelength. By way of example, an IR transparent pigmentcan reflect about 10% of the incoming radiation at a wavelength of about750 nm and can reflect about 90% or more of the incoming radiation at awavelength of about 900 nm.

An IR transparent pigment can include, without limitation, a perylenebased pigment, a phthalocyanine based pigment, a naphthalocyanine basedpigment, and the like.

A perylene based pigment refers to a pigment including the generalstructure:

The term perylene based pigment is intended to include perylene andrylene as well as ions and derivatives thereof that comprise a peryleneor rylene core. The term rylene derivative, as used herein, refers toany compound having a rylene core. Stated alternatively, rylenederivatives include any molecule comprising a polycyclic aromatichydrocarbon (PAH) moiety and having any number of peripheralsubstituents in place of any of the peripheral hydrogen atoms of therylene. When more than one peripheral substituent is present, they maybe the same or different.

Commercially available examples of perylene pigments include, Lumogen®,Paliogen®, and Heliogen® pigments from BASF Corporation. Additionalexamples of IR transparent pigments are described in United StatesPatent Application Publication No. 2009/0098476 to Denton, et al., whichis incorporated herein by reference, and include those having a peryleneisoindolene structure, an azomethine structure, and/or an anilinestructure.

A phthalocyanine based pigment refers to a pigment having the generalstructure:

The term phthalocyanine based pigment is intended to includephthalocyanine as well as ions, metallophthalocyanines, phthalocyaninederivatives and their ions, and metallated phthalocyanine derivatives.The term phthalocyanine derivative refers to any compound having aphthalocyanine core. Stated alternatively, phthalocyanine derivativesinclude any molecule comprising a tetrabenzo[b, g, l,q]-5,10,15,20-tetraazaporphyrin moiety and having any number ofperipheral substituents in place of any of the peripheral hydrogen atomsbound to the carbon atoms at the 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17,18, 22, 23, 24, or 25 positions of the phthalocyanine moiety. When morethan one peripheral substituent is present, the peripheral substituentsmay be the same or different.

The term naphthalocyanine compound refers to a pigment having thegeneral structure:

The term naphthalocyanine based pigment is intended to refer tonaphalocyanine and its ions, metallonaphthalocyanines, naphthalocyaninederivatives and their ions, and metallated naphthalocyanine derivatives.The term naphthalocyanine derivative refers to any compound having anaphthalocyanine core. Stated alternatively, naphthalocyaninederivatives include any molecule comprising a tetranaphthalo[b, g, l,q]-5,10,15,20-tetraazaporphyrin moiety and having any number ofperipheral substituents in place of any of the peripheral hydrogen atomsbound to the carbon atoms of the naphthalocyanine moiety. When more thanone peripheral substituent is present, the peripheral substituents maybe the same or different.

Phthalocyanine, naphthalocyanine and rylene compounds suitable for usein the invention include any infrared absorbing phthalocyanine,naphthalocyanine or rylene compound.

Phthalocyanine and naphthalocyanine compounds may be metallated, forexample with monovalent metals including sodium, potassium and lithium;with divalent metals including copper, zinc, iron, cobalt, nickel,ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, platinum, manganese, tin, vanadium andcalcium; or with trivalent metals, tetravalent metals, or metals of evengreater valency.

In general, the charge of any metallated phthalocyanine ornaphthalocyanine compound, aside from those containing a divalent metal,will be balanced by a cation or anion of appropriate charge that isoften coordinated axially to the metal ion. Examples of suitable ionsinclude, without limitation, halogen anions, metal ions, hydroxideanion, oxide anion (O²⁻) and alkoxide anions.

Phthalocyanine compounds can include, without limitation, aluminum1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octabutoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine triethylsiloxide;copper(II) 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octabutoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine;nickel(II) 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octabutoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine;1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octabutoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine; zinc1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octabutoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine; copper(II)2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)-29H,31H-phthalocyanine;2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)-29H,31H-phthalocyanine; silicon2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)-29H,31H-phthalocyaninedihydroxide; zinc2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)-29H,31H-phthalocyanine; andmixtures thereof.

Naphthalocyanine compounds can include, without limitation, aluminum5,9,14,18,23,27,32,36-octabutoxy-2,3-naphthalocyanine triethylsiloxide,copper(II) 5,9,14,18,23,27,32,36-octabutoxy-2,3-naphthalocyanine,nickel(II) 5,9,14,18,23,27,32,36-octabutoxy-2,3-naphthalocyanine,5,9,14,18,23,27,32,36-octabutoxy-2,3-naphthalocyanine, zinc5,9,14,18,23,27,32,36-octabutoxy-2,3-naphthalocyanine and mixturesthereof.

Rylene compounds include, without limitation, those described in U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,405,962; 5,986,099; 6,124,458; 6,486,319; 6,737,159;6,878,825; and 6,890,377; and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos.2004/0049030 and 2004/0068114, all of which are incorporated herein byreference.

Additional examples of phthalocyanine, naphthalaocyanine, and rylene IRtransparent pigments as may be included in a composition are describedin U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0228340 to Hayes, etal., which incorporated herein by reference.

Other ER transparent pigments can include, without limitation, copperphthalocyanine pigment, halogenated copper phthalocyanine pigment,anthraquinone pigment, quinacridone pigment, perylene pigment, monoazopigment, disazo pigment, quinophthalone pigment, indanthrone pigment,dioxazine pigment, transparent iron oxide brown pigment, transparentiron oxide red pigment, transparent iron oxide yellow pigment, cadmiumorange pigment, ultramarine blue pigment, cadmium yellow pigment, chromeyellow pigment, cobalt aluminate blue pigment, cobalt chromite bluepigment, iron titanium brown spinel pigment, manganese antimony titaniumbuff rutile pigment, zinc iron chromite brown spinel pigment,isoindoline pigment, diarylide yellow pigment, brominated anthranthronpigment and the like.

Specific examples of IR transparent pigments as may be incorporated in acomposition include Paliotol® Yellow K 0961 HD, Paliotol® Yellow K 1700,Paliotol® Yellow K 1841, Paliotol® Yellow K 2270, Diarylide Yellow(opaque) 1270, Rightfit® Yellow K 1220, Rightfit® Yellow 8G 1222,Rightfit® Yellow R 1226, Rightfit® Yellow K 1994, Rightfit® Yellow 1292,Rightfit® Yellow 1293, Rightfit® Yellow 1296, Rightfit® Yellow 3R 1298,Synergy® Yellow HG 6202, Synergy® Yellow 6204, Synergy® Yellow 6205,Synergy® Yellow 6207, Synergy® Yellow 6210, Synergy® Yellow 6213,Synergy® Yellow 6222, Synergy® Yellow 6223, Synergy® Yellow 6225,Synergy® Yellow 6226, Synergy® Yellow 6233, Synergy® Yellow 6234,Synergy® Yellow 6235, Synergy® Yellow 6261, Synergy® Yellow 6268,Synergy® Yellow 6290, Synergy® Yellow 6298, Paliotol® Orange K 2920,Dianisidine Orange 2915, Synergy® Orange 6103, Synergy® Orange 6106,Synergy® Orange 6112, Synergy® Orange 6113, Synergy® Orange Y 6114,Synergy® Orange RL 6118, Synergy® Orange Y 6135, Synergy® Orange HL6136, Synergy® Orange 6139, Synergy® Orange G 6164, Synergy® Orange6170, Paliogen® Red K 3580, Paliogen® Red K 3911 H, Citation® Red LightBarium 1058, Naphthol Red Light 3169, Naphthol Red 3170, Naphthol Red3172, Naphthol Red 3175, MadderLake conc. 1092, Pigment Scarlet 1060,Rightfit® Red K 3790, Rightfit® Red K 4350, Rightfit® Red 1117,Rightfit® Pink 1118, Synergy® Scarlet 6012, Synergy® Red 6016, Synergy®Red 6019, Synergy® Red 6054, Synergy® Red 6065, Synergy® Red 6069,Synergy® Red 6075, Transbarium 2B Red 1057, Synergy® Magenta 6062,Synergy® Red 6027, Supermaroon ST 1090, Paliogen® Red K 4180, Rightfit©Violet 1120, Paliogen® Red Violet K 5011, Heliogen® Blue K 6850,Heliogen® Blue K 6902, Heliogen® Blue K 6903, Heliogen® Blue K 6907,Heliogen® Blue K 6911 D, Heliogen® Blue K 6912 D, Heliogen® Blue K 7090,Heliogen® Blue K 7104 LW, Heliogen® Green K 8605, Heliogen® Green K8683, Heliogen® Green K 8730 Z, Heliogen® Green K 8740 LW, Heliogen®Green K 9360, Lumogen® Black FK 4280, Lumogen® Black FK 4281 from BASF.

There is no particular limitation as to the size or shape of IRtransparent pigment particles included in a composition. In oneembodiment, an IR transparent pigment having an average primary particlesize of less than about 200 nm, for instance less than about 100 nm,less than about 50 nanometers or less than about 30 nanometers can beutilized. Such pigment particles have been described in United StatesPatent Application Publication No. 2008/0187708 to Decker, et al. whichis incorporated herein by reference. Such small particle pigments may beuseful in forming a coating with low haze. IR transparent pigmentparticles are not limited to small nanometer-sized particles, however,and in other embodiments, larger IR transparent pigment particles can beutilized.

In general, when present, a composition can include one or more IRtransparent pigments) in an amount of up to about 50 phr. For example, acomposition can include one or more IR transparent pigments in an amountbetween about 3 phr and about 40 phr or between about 5 phr and about 15phr.

A composition can include additional pigments, in addition to the one ormore IR reflective or IR transparent pigments as discussed above. Forinstance, in one embodiment, a composition can include an interferencepigment. As used herein, the term interference pigment refers to apigment having a multi-layer structure including alternating layers ofmaterial of different refractive index. Examples of interferencepigments include, for example, pigments comprising a substrate of mica,SiO₂, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, zinc, copper, chromium, mirrorized silica, glass thatis coated with one or more layers of e.g. titanium dioxide, iron oxide,titanium iron oxide or chrome oxide or combinations thereof, or pigmentscomprising combinations of metal and metal oxide, such as aluminumcoated with layers of iron oxide layers and/or silicon dioxide ormixtures thereof.

Interference pigments can also exhibit IR reflective properties. Whenpresent, an interference pigment can be included in a composition in anamount up to about 50 phr, for instance up to about 40 phr, or betweenabout 3 and about 15 phr.

Other, more traditional pigments can also be incorporated in acomposition. For example, one or more conventional pigments including,but not limited to, ZnS, carbon black, Fe₂O₃ red pigment ferric oxides,and compounds of diarylide, isoindolinone, benzimidazolones, azocondensation, quinophthalone, primrose chrome, iron oxides, molybdates,quinacridones, and diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrols, and the like can be includedin a composition, in addition to one or more IR reflective or IRtransparent pigments.

The total amount of pigments in a composition can vary, depending uponthe final application. For example, in one embodiment, the total loadinglevel for all pigments in a coating composition can be up to about 50phr. Higher or lower total pigment loading levels are also encompassedherein, however.

A composition can include additional additives as are generally known inthe art. For example, a composition can include one or more fillers,stabilizers, adhesion promoters, surfactants, lubricants, flameretardants, UV absorbers, antioxidants, and the like. Other additivesmay include processing aids, flow enhancing additives, lubricants,impact modifiers, dispersants, surfactants, chelating agents, couplingagents, adhesives, primers and the like.

The amount of a particular additive used will depend upon the type ofadditive and the particular composition and desired application. Forexample, a UV stabilizer level could be used at levels as low as 0.1weight percent based on the total weight of the composition. Methods forselecting and optimizing the particular levels and types of additivesare known to those skilled in the art.

In one preferred embodiment, a composition can include a viscosityreduction agent. As discussed previously, IR transparent and IRreflective pigments often present difficulties due to the high add-onlevels necessary to obtain the desired colors. Specifically, viscositylevels of resulting compositions are too high for utilization in coatingcertain substrates, for instance a fiber, yarn, thread, or formed wovenor nonwoven fabric. Accordingly, a composition can include one or moreviscosity reducing agents to provide a composition having a viscosity ofless than about 5000 cP, as measured with a Brookfield RTV at 20 rpm,less than about 2500 cP, or less than about 1500 cP.

Any suitable viscosity reducing agent or combination thereof can beutilized. For instance, a viscosity reducing agent can include a mineraloil, hydrogenated polyalphaolefin oil and/or a saturated fatty acid asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,266 to Crews, et al., which isincorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment, a mineral oil viscosity reducing agent can beutilized. Mineral oil (also known as liquid petrolatum) is a by-productin the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. It is a chemicallyinert transparent colorless oil composed mainly of linear, branched, andcyclic alkanes (paraffins) of various molecular weights, related towhite petrolatum. Mineral oil products are typically highly refined,through distillation, hydrogenation, hydrotreating, and other refiningprocesses, to have improved properties, and the type and amount ofrefining varies from product to product. Other names for mineral oilinclude, but are not necessarily limited to, paraffin oil, paraffinicoil, lubricating oil, white mineral oil, and white oil. One specificexample of a viscosity reducing agent as may be included in acomposition is Isopar™ isoparaffinic fluids.

Other viscosity reducing agents can include ethers, alcohols, tertiaryamines, aldehydes, ketones, and similar compounds that suitably reducethe viscosity of the composition without destroying the composition orany component thereof. Viscosity reducing agents include, withoutlimitation, aliphatic and cycloaliphatic ethers of 2 to 20 carbon atomssuch as the straight chain ethers, e.g., di-n-alkyl ethers of 2 to 10carbon atoms including diethyl ether and dibutyl ether, and cycloalkylethers of 5 to 6 carbon atoms, e.g., tetrahydrofuran andtetrahydropyran. Also included are aliphatic and aromatic alcohols suchas ethanol, isopropanol and butanol as well as phenyl, benzylalcohol andthe others having 20 or fewer carbon atoms. Other suitable agentsinclude organic compounds having no more than about 20 carbon atoms,such as tertiary alkyl amines of 3 to 20 carbon atoms; aldehydes such asacetaldehyde and benzaldehyde; ketones such as methyl ethyl ketone anddiethyl ketone as well as acetophenone.

When present, a viscosity reducing agent can generally be included in acomposition in an amount of up to about 30 phr, for instance betweenabout 5 and about 20 phr, or between about 10 and about 15 phr. Otheradd-on levels are likewise encompassed herein, however. A preferredamount of viscosity reducing agent can be determined according to thefinal desired viscosity of the composition, as is known.

In one embodiment, a composition can include a stabilizer, e.g., athermal stabilizer. Any known thermal stabilizer or mixture of thermalstabilizers is encompassed herein. Useful thermal stabilizers includephenolic antioxidants, alkylated monophenols, alkylthiomethylphenols,hydroquinones, alkylated hydroquinones, tocopherols, hydroxylatedthiodiphenyl ethers, alkylidenebisphenols, O-, N- and S-benzylcompounds, hydroxybenzylated malonates, aromatic hydroxybenzylcompounds, triazine compounds, aminic antioxidants, aryl amines, diarylamines, polyaryl amines, acylaminophenols, oxamides, metal deactivators,phosphites, phosphonites, benzylphosphonates, ascorbic acid (vitamin C),compounds which destroy peroxide, hydroxylamines, nitrones,thiosynergists, benzofuranones, indolinones, and the like. Generally,when used, thermal stabilizers will be present in the composition in anamount of 0.001 to 10 weight percent based on the total weight of thecomposition, or less than about 10 phr, for instance between about 2 andabout 5 phr.

A composition may contain a UV absorber or a mixture of UV absorbers.General classes of UV absorbers include benzotriazoles,hydroxybenzophenones, hydroxyphenyl triazines, esters of substituted andunsubstituted benzoic acids, and the like and mixtures thereof. Any UVabsorber known within the art is encompassed herein. When present, acomposition can incorporate from about 0.001 to about 10.0 weightpercent UV absorbers, based on the total weight of the composition.

A composition may also incorporate an effective amount of a hinderedamine light stabilizers (HALS). Generally, HALS are understood to besecondary, tertiary, acetylated, N-hydrocarbyloxy substituted, hydroxysubstituted N-hydrocarbyloxy substituted, or other substituted cyclicamines which further have some degree of steric hindrance, generallyderived from aliphatic substitution on the carbon atoms adjacent to theamine function. When present, HALS can be included in a composition inan amount of from about 0.001 to about 10.0 weight percent, based on thetotal weight of the composition.

Flame retardants as are generally known can also be incorporated in acomposition. For example, A. H. Landrocki, “Handbook of PlasticFlammability Fuel and combustion Toxicology,” (Noyes Publication, 1983)disclosures fire/flame retardants. Flame retardants for plasticsfunction under heat to yield products that would be more difficult toignite than the virgin plastics, or that do not propagate flame asreadily. They function in one or more ways, either they absorb heat,thereby making sustained burning more difficult, or they formnonflammable char or coating that insulates the substrate from the heat,excludes oxygen, and slows the rate of diffusion of volatile, flammablepyrolysis fragments from the substrate. Flame retardants for plasticsmay also function by enhancing the decomposition of the substrate,thereby accelerating its melting al lower temperatures so that it dripsor flows away from the flame front and by evolving products that stop orslow flame propagation. Still other flame retardants for plastics mayfunction by forming free radicals that convert a polymer to lesscombustible products and by excluding oxygen from possible burning sitesby coating resin particles.

Useful fire retardant agents may vary widely. Illustrative of usefulagents are such materials as metal hydroxides and hydrated materials,carbonates, bicarbonates, nitrate hydrates, metal halide hydrates,sulfate hydrates, perchlorate hydrates, phosphate hydrates, sulfites,bisulfites, borates, perchlorates, hydroxides, phosphate salts, andnitrogen containing compounds which thermally decompose to formnitrogen.

A composition can also include a dispersant. For example, a pigment ofthe composition can be provided as a dispersion that can then becombined with other components of the composition. Dispersants caninclude, for example, customary dispersants, such as water-solubledispersants based on one or more arylsulfonic acid/formaldehydecondensation products or on one or more water-soluble oxalkylatedphenols, non-ionic dispersants or polymeric acids. The arylsulfonicacid/formaldehyde condensation products are obtainable, for example, bysulfonation of aromatic compounds, such as naphthalene itself ornaphthalene-containing mixtures, and subsequent condensation of theresulting arylsulfonic acids with formaldehyde. Such dispersants areknown and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,989,056 toBabler, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,846 to Brueckmann, et al., which areincorporated herein by reference. Suitable oxalkylated phenols arelikewise known and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,218,218 to Daubach, et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.Suitable non-ionic dispersants are, for example, alkylene oxide adducts,polymerisation products of vinylpyrrolidone, vinyl acetate or vinylalcohol and co- or ter-polymers of vinyl pyrrolidone with vinyl acetateand/or vinyl alcohol.

The dispersant can be a random or structured polymeric dispersant.Random polymers include acrylic polymers and styrene-acrylic polymers.Structured dispersants include AB, BAB and ABC block copolymers,branched polymers and graft polymers. Useful structured polymers aredisclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,698 to Ma, et al. andU.S. Pat. No. 5,231,131 to Chu, et al. and in European PatentApplication EP 0556649 to Ma, et al., all of which are incorporatedherein by reference. Examples of typical dispersants for non-aqueouspigment dispersions include those sold under the trade names: Disperbyk(BYK-Chemie, USA), Solsperse (Avecia) and EFKA (EFKA Chemicals)polymeric dispersants.

The components of a composition can be combined according to standardmethods as are generally known in the art. For instance, a compositionof a melt or solution including the resin, pigments, and any additionaladditives (plasticizer, viscosity reducing agent, flame retardant, etc.)can be formed according to standard formation processes. In oneembodiment, an energy intensive mixing means can be utilized, optionallyat increased temperature, to form the composition. The components of thecomposition can be combined in any order, as is known. For example,solid components including resin beads or flakes, pigments, etc., canfirst be combined, as in a ball mill, prior to forming a melt orsolution of the components and adding any liquid components, e.g.,viscosity reducing agents.

Following formation, a composition can be further processed to form acovering for an architectural opening including, without limitation, awindow, an arch, a doorway, and so forth.

In one embodiment, a composition can be molded or otherwise shaped toform a material for use in forming a covering. For instance, acomposition can be extruded in film or sheet form, optionally laminatedwith other films, and applied to a substrate, e.g., a window or a windowcovering.

A film or sheet of the composition may be made by any suitable process.Thin films, for example, may be formed by compression molding asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,614 to Barham, et al., by meltextrusion as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,592 Martini, et al., bymelt blowing as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,281 to Locks, at al.,all of which are incorporated herein by reference, or by other suitableprocesses such as knife coating. Polymeric sheets may be formed byextrusion, calendering, solution casting or injection molding, forexample. One of ordinary skill in the art will be able to identifyappropriate process parameters based on the polymeric composition and onthe method used for sheet or film formation.

When a melt processing method, such as extrusion or injection molding,is used the melt processing temperature of the composition can be fromabout 50° C. to about 300° C., for instance from about 100° C. to about250° C.

A film construct can be further processed following formation.Post-formation processing can include, without limitation, shaping,blowing the film to different dimensions, machining, punching,stretching or orienting, rolling, calendering, coating, embossing,printing and radiation such as E-beam treatment to increase the Vicatsoftening point. For example, films and sheets formed by any method maybe oriented, uniaxially or biaxially, by stretching in one or both ofthe machine and transverse directions after formation according to anysuitable methods.

A film or sheet formed of a composition can have a hard coat layerformed on one or both surfaces to protect the layer(s) from scratching,abrasion, and like insults. Any suitable hard coat formulation may beemployed. One hard coat is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,073 toClark, which is incorporated herein by reference.

A film or sheet of a composition can be combined with other films toform a multilayer laminate. A multilayer structures may be formed by anysuitable means, such as, for example, coextrusion, blown film,dipcoating, solution coating, blade, puddle, air-knife, printing,Dahlgren, gravure, flexo, powder coating, spraying, laminating, or otherart processes. The individual layers may be joined together by heat,adhesive and/or tie layer, for example.

Films for use as additional film layers include oriented and unorientedpolyester films, polycarbonate films, polyurethane films and polyvinylchloride films. In one embodiment, the additional film layer isbiaxially oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate). Sheets for use asadditional sheet layers can include sheets comprising polyvinyl butyralcompositions, acoustic polyvinyl acetal compositions, acoustic polyvinylbutyral compositions, ethylene vinyl acetate compositions, thermoplasticpolyurethane compositions, polyvinyl chloride copolymer compositions andethylene acid copolymer compositions and ionomers derived therefrom.

In one embodiment, a film or sheet can by layered on a glass sheet. Theterm “glass” as used herein includes window glass, plate glass, silicateglass, sheet glass, float glass, colored glass, specialty glass whichmay, for example, include ingredients to control solar heating, glasscoated with sputtered metals such as silver, for example, glass coatedwith antimony tin oxide (ATO) and/or indium tin oxide (ITO), E-glass,Solex™ glass (PPG Industries of Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Toroglass™. Atypical glass sheet is a 90 mil thick annealed flat glass.

Alternatively, a rigid sheet may be a rigid polymeric sheet comprised ofa polycarbonate, acrylics, polyacrylate, cyclic polyolefins,metallocene-catalyzed polystyrene and mixtures or combinations thereof.In general, a rigid sheet can be transparent to visible radiation.

Also disclosed herein are NIR reflective textiles that beneficiallyincorporate the disclosed compositions. The term ‘textile’ is hereindefined to encompass any structure produced by the interlacing of yarns,multi-filament fibers, monofilament fibers, or some combination thereof.A textile can be generally planar or can be manipulated to form higherdimensional geometries. A textile can include fibers that incorporate acomposition as disclosed herein in a predetermined, organized, andinterlaced pattern, herein referred to as a weave or knit fabric (i.e.,a fabric formed according to a weaving and/or knitting process), oroptionally can include the fibers in a random pattern (a nonwovenfabric), or in a unidirectional prepreg fabric, in which multipleunidirectional fibers are aligned and held in a matrix of a polymericbinding agent.

According to one embodiment, continuous or stapled fibers of a textilecan be formed from an NIR reflective composition. The fibers can thenform a woven or nonwoven textile (optionally with other types of fibers)suitable for use in a covering for an architectural opening. Forinstance, a composition can be melt processed or solution processed toform fibers according to known fiber-forming technologies, which canthen be utilized in forming a textile. Alternatively, a film or sheet ofthe composition, as described above, can be stripped to form filaments,fibers, or continuous yarn which can be used as formed or optionallycombined, e.g., twisted, to form a yarn. A woven or nonwoven textile canthen be formed to include the fibers.

According to another embodiment, rather than a homogeneous fiber or filmformed of the composition, a composition can be utilized to coat asubstrate. In particular, a composition can coat a substrate for use informing a covering in an architectural opening. Substrates can include,for example, those formed of polymeric compositions (e.g., polyesters),wood, metal (e.g., aluminum) and textile substrates. Examples oftextiles substrates can include, without limitation, filaments, fibers,yarns, threads, knits, wovens, nonwovens, and products formed from oneor more individual textile portions attached to one another.

In one embodiment, a substrate can be formed of a high IR reflectivematerial, such as glass, wood, or polyester. For example, a compositionincluding one or more IR transparent or IR reflective pigments can becoated on an IR reflective yarn, such as a yarn formed of glass fibers,and a textile formed of the coated yarn can exhibit improved NIRreflection and a non-white color. In another embodiment, a compositioncan be coated on a door, a blind, a shutter, or the like formed of an IRreflective material, such as wood, IR reflective polymeric materials,metal, and so forth, and the product can exhibit improved NIRreflection.

In one preferred embodiment, a composition can coat a core fibrousstructure that can be utilized to form a woven or nonwoven textile.

The core of a coated fibrous construct can include any conventionalmaterial known to the art including, without limitation, metal fibers;glass fibers, fiberglass yarn such as E-glass, A-glass, C-glass,D-glass, AR-glass, R-glass, SI-glass, S2-glass; carbon fibers such asgraphite; boron fibers; ceramic fibers such as alumina or silica; aramidfibers such as Kevlar® marketed by E. I. duPont de Nemours, Wilmington,Del.; synthetic organic fibers such as polyester, polyolefin, polyamide,polyethylene, paraphenylene, terephthalamide, polyethylene terephthalateand polyphenylene sulphide; and various other natural or syntheticinorganic or organic fibrous materials known to be useful for formingcoverings for architectural openings, such as cellulose, asbestos,cotton and the like.

A core of a composite fibrous structure can be a mono filament, e.g., asingle glass filament, or can be a multi-filament construct including aplurality of individual filaments combined together. For instance a corefilament can be a yarn formed of a plurality of glass or polymericfilaments.

As utilized herein, the term ‘yarn’ refers to a continuous strand of oneor more textile fibers, filaments, or material in a form suitable forknitting, weaving, or otherwise intertwining to form a textile fabric.Yarn can occur in any of the following forms: a number of fibers orfilaments twisted together; a number of filaments laid together withouta twist; a number of filaments laid together with a degree of twist; asingle filament with out without a twist; or a narrow strip of material(e.g., paper, polymer film, metal) with or without a twist. The term‘yarn’ also encompasses spun yarn formed of staple fibers. Staple fibersare natural fibers or cut lengths of filaments. Manufactured staplefibers are cut to a length, generally from about 1 inch to about 8inches.

As utilized herein, the term ‘filament’ generally refers to a singlestrand of an elongated material, and the term ‘fiber’ generally refersto any elongated structure that can be formed of a single or multiplefilaments. Hence, in certain embodiments, the terms filament and fibermay be used interchangeably, but this is not necessarily the case and inother embodiments, a fiber can be formed of multiple individualfilaments.

A multi-filament yarn can be formed according to any standard practice.For instance each of the formed filaments can be treated with sizing,etc. prior to combination to form a multi-filament construct. By way ofexample, surface treatment of individual glass filaments used to form atwisted glass multi-filament yarn has been carried out with specificsizings to prevent breakage of the filaments during processing (see,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,555 to Wu, et al., which is incorporatedherein by reference).

Once formed, a yarn (either multi-filament or mono-filament) can becoated with a composition as disclosed herein according to known methodsincluding, without limitation, extrusion, strand coating, and so forth.For instance, a core yarn can be passed through a die, with peripheraldelivery around the core of a sheath of the composition. One suchcoating method is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2007/0015426 to Ahmed, et al., which is incorporated herein byreference. The coated yarn can be cured by a variety of techniques knownin the art including, thermal, IR radiation, photoactivation, e-beam orother radiation type curing, and others. A preferred curing method cangenerally depend upon the resin of the composition. Following cure, thecoated yarn can be pulled through nip rollers prior to being wound on awinder for later processing.

A coating process can be repeated with the same or different coatingcompositions to form a multi-layered product. For instance, a yarn canbe coated multiple times with the same coating composition to increasesolar characteristics and/or to provide thicker overall coatings.Different compositions can also be utilized in multiple coating layers,for instance to effect the perceived color of the finished product, toprovide the desired concentration of coating materials in several lowviscosity composition applications, and the like.

According to one embodiment, a first coating layer can be formed on asubstrate that exhibits high reflectivity and a second coating layer canbe formed on the substrate over the first coating layer that can exhibitdesirable color and a lower IR reflectivity and/or higher IRtransparency as compared to the first layer. For example, the firstcoating layer can include a relatively large amount of highly reflectivepigment, for example a white pigment, and the second, outer coatinglayer can include IR transparent and or IR reflective pigments (as wellas other, more traditional pigments) to provide the desired color to thecomposite.

The inclusion of a first, inner layer that exhibits a high IRreflectivity can increase the overall reflectivity of the substrate. Thesecond layer, which can also exhibit IR reflectivity, and can includeone or more IR reflective and/or IR transparent pigments, at least oneof which is a non-white pigment, can provide a desired color to thecoated substrate, and can enhance the IR reflectance and/or transparencyof the coated substrate.

For example, when considering a fibrous substrate such as a yarn orfiber, an inner, first layer that has a high IR reflectivity canincrease the highly reflective surface area of the fiber. The innerlayer can also exhibit little or no IR transparency. The addition of asecond layer on the substrate that is IR reflective and/or IRtransparent, and that also includes IR reflective and/or transparentpigments that are non-white can provide a highly IR reflective and/or IRtransparent composite in any of a wide variety of non-white colors.

As previously mentioned, many of the pigments for use in a composition,e.g., many IR reflective pigments, are highly abrasive, which hasprevented the use of such pigments as coatings for textile substrates,such as yarn, fibers and formed fabrics: Also disclosed herein aremethods and coated substrates that solve this problem. According to thisembodiment, a substrate can include at least two coating layers thereon,such that a coating layer that includes an abrasive additive, e.g., anabrasive IR reflective pigment, is not immediately adjacent to thesubstrate core. For instance, a glass fiber yarn can be coated with afirst composition that can include a non-abrasive IR transparentpigment. Following, this fiber can be coated with a second compositionthat can include an abrasive IR reflective pigment.

The first composition can include IR transparent and/or reflectivepigments, can include more traditional pigments, or can include nopigments at all. More specifically, it should be understood that theinner layer, for instance the layer immediately adjacent the coresubstrate (e.g., the fiber, woven, or nonwoven textile) can be formed ofa composition as disclosed herein or a different composition, asdesired. For instance, a first layer can be formed of a plastisol thatincludes traditional pigments or alternatively no pigment at all, and asubsequent layer can include an abrasive pigment. In one embodiment, thefirst layer can be formed of a highly reflective composition, withlittle or no darker colored IR reflective and/or transparent pigments,and the second composition can include one or more abrasive IRreflective and/or transparent pigments.

When considering formation of a composite that includes multiple coatinglayers on a substrate, the second, outer coating layer (or anyadditional layers) can be formed according to the same coating processas the first, inner coating layer, or according to a different method,as desired. For instance, a multi-strand fiber glass yarn can be coatedwith a first layer according to a peripheral extrusion process andfollowing cure a second layer can be coated on the fiber according to adip-coating method.

A similar multi-layer coating process can be carried out with anysubstrate, including a fiber or a formed nonwoven or woven textileproduct. For example, following formation of a textile that incorporatesa yarn, the textile can be coated with multiple layers such that acomposition that incorporates abrasive pigments is not immediatelyadjacent the formed textile, such that one or more inner layers exhibithigh IR reflectivity, or with multiple coating layers of the samecoating composition.

Yarn incorporating disclosed compositions can be woven to form atextile. A woven textile can include such yarn in the warp, weft, orboth directions of the formed textile. Moreover, the warp and/or weftyarn can include other yarn, in addition to the disclosed yarn types.Individual steps in an exemplary woven fabric manufacturing process willbe described in more detail. Beaming (or warping) is a commonintermediate step in woven fabric formation in which a large number ofindividual yarns are pulled together in parallel and wrapped onto acylinder, known as a warp beam, in preparation for transportation to aloom. Sectional warping is a two part process. In the first part, arelatively small number of ends are wound onto a rotating drum for aspecified distance. As the yarn is wrapped around the drum, the drummoves laterally, i.e., perpendicular to the direction of the incomingyarn, and allows the yarn to build up against a tapered surface on oneend of the drum. After a specified length of yarn is wrapped, the yarnis cut and tied off, and a small section of yarn remains. This processis repeated for a number of iterations until the desired width of yarnis pulled from the creel. During the second part, known as beaming off,the sections are pulled from the drum and wound on a warp beam.Sectional warping makes practical and economic sense when relativelyshort lengths of fabric, or densely woven fabric having a wide width, isproduced, because it reduces the total number of bobbins required andincreases the size of the bobbins.

In the warping and beaming steps, yarn is positioned on a sectionalwarping creel (e.g., a Benninger model No. 100522) utilizing a centrallycontrolled spring-loaded roller system for yarn tensioning andelectronic end stop detection capability (e.g., an Eltex model No. 17820Mini-SMG 121). Yarn pulled from the creel is threaded through thetensioners, stop motion detectors, and reed, and wound onto the drum ofa sectional warper (e.g., a Hacoba model No. USK 1000E-SM). The yarn isbeamed off onto a warp beam. A range of processing conditions as knownin the art may be used to produce a warp beam for fabric production, andother types of warping equipment, lubricants, or warping techniques(direct warping, etc.) may be used depending on the exact nature of theyarn (such as size, shape, coating material, etc.), fabricspecifications, and weaving equipment.

An IR reflective knit fabric can be formed via warp knit or weft knit,as desired. As is known, linear warp-knitting machines are provided witha plurality of bars designed to carry a plurality of thread-holdingelements, commonly known as thread-guides. The bars can be moved so asto enable the threads associated with such thread-guides to be correctlyfed onto the needles of the knitting machine for the formation of newfabric. In order to achieve its knitting task, the thread-guide barmakes two basic movements: a linear movement in front of or behind thehook of each needle, commonly known as “shog”, and an oscillatingmovement on the side of each needle for bringing the threadsalternatively before and behind the needle hook, commonly known as“swing”. Jacquard-type thread-guide bars are also known, which areprovided with jacquard devices allowing each thread-guide to moveindividually of an additional needle space, in the same or oppositedirection, with respect to the shog movement of the bars.

In a weft knitting machine the loops are produced in a horizontaldirection. A weft knitting machine is generally provided with a yarnfeeder mounted, e.g., on a side cover on one end side in a longitudinaldirection of a needle bed, so the knitting yarn is fed from a yarnfeeding port of a yarn feeding member to a knitting needle. The yarnfeeder includes a buffer rod that can temporarily store a knitting yarnand can apply a tension to the knitting yarn.

Any type of knitting machine can be utilized including, withoutlimitation, a weft knitting fabric machine, in which fabric is knittedin a continuous, uninterrupted length of constant width; a garmentslength machine that has an additional control mechanism to co-ordinatethe knitting action in the production of structured repeat sequence in awale direction; a flat machine; a circular machine; and so forth.

A nonwoven textile encompassed herein encompasses any type of nonwovenfabric, e.g., a meltblown web, a spunbond web, and so forth. A meltblownnonwoven web can be formed by a process in which a molten thermoplasticmaterial (e.g., a composition as disclosed herein) is extruded through aplurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as molten fibersinto converging high velocity gas (e.g., air) streams that attenuate thefibers of molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameter, whichmay be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers arecarried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on acollecting surface to form a web of randomly dispersed meltblown fibers.Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 toButin, et al., which is incorporated herein in its entirety by referencethereto for all purposes.

A spunbond web generally refers to a nonwoven web that includes smalldiameter substantially continuous fibers. The fibers can be formed byextruding a molten thermoplastic material from a plurality of fine,usually circular, capillaries of a spinnerette with the diameter of theextruded fibers then being rapidly reduced as by, for example, eductivedrawing and/or other well-known spunbonding mechanisms. The productionof spunbond webs is described and illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat.No. 4,340,563 to Appel, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dörschner, etal., U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,992to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,394 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 toHartman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,538 to Levy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 toDobo, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,400 to Pike, et al., which areincorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto.

A covering formed to include a composition as disclosed herein canreflect more NIR as compared to conventional pigment compositions andcan improve the energy use for a building that utilizes the covering.For instance, a window covering including the disclosed compositions canreflect more than about 15% of the impinging NIR, for instance greaterthan about 25%, greater than about 50% or greater than about 70%. In oneembodiment, a window covering can reflect between about 25% and about75%, or between about 50% and about 75% of the NIR radiation ofimpinging solar radiation. A window covering can reflect more than about30% of the total impinging solar radiation, or greater than about 40% inone embodiment. Coverings encompassed herein that can incorporate thedisclosed compositions can include, without limitation, window and, doorshades, window blinds, awnings, awning screens, skylight shades,sunroom/solarium shades, draperies and curtains, and so forth.

The present disclosure may be better understood with reference to theExamples, below.

Example 1

PVC-based plastisols were prepared as described below in Table 1. Allconcentrations are provided as phr (parts per hundred parts of resin).Six different compositions were formed in three different colors. Foreach color, one composition included at least one IR transparent or IRreflective pigment, and the other included only conventional pigments.

TABLE 1 Run No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Color Gray Black Dark Brown PVC resin 100100 100 100 100 100 Plasticizer 45 45 45 45 45 45 stabilizer 5 5 5 5 5 5Pigment - TPK 103 0.85 — 9.1 — 2.3 — Pigment - TPK 104 0.32 — 1.4 — — —Pigment - TPR 143 0.32 — 0.26 — 3.4 — Pigment - TPY 82 — — 0.3 — 3.5 —Pigment - TPW 12 4.5 — — 1.2 3.5 Pigment - TPK 82 — — — 4 — — Pigment -TPS 196 1.85 — — — — Pigment - TPN 174 — — — — — 5.9 lubricant 1 1 1 1 11 Flame retardant 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Viscosity 12 12 12 12 12 12Reducing Agent

Specific components utilized included:

-   PVC resin—a 40/60 w/w mixture of Lacove PS 1070 and Lacovyl® PB    1302, both available from Arkema.-   Plasticizer Palatinol® L9P, a linear phthalate plasticizer available    from BASF.-   Stabilizer—Ba, Zn mixed stabilizer available from Acros-   Pigments—All available from Toncee, Inc. of Smyrna, Ga., USA    -   TPK 103—black IR transparent pigment dispersed in diisononyl        phthalate (DINP)    -   TPK 104—black IR transparent pigment dispersed in D1NP    -   TPR 143—red IR transparent pigment dispersed in DINP    -   TPY 82—yellow IR transparent pigment dispersed in DINP    -   TPW 12—white pigment dispersed in DINP    -   TPK 82—pigment with carbon black dispersed in D1NP    -   TPS 196—pigment with carbon black dispersed in DINP    -   TPN 174—pigment with carbon black dispersed in DINP-   Lubricant—SiAk from Wacker Chemie AG-   Flame retardant—White Star N antimony trioxide, available from the    Campine Company of Belgium-   Viscosity reducing agent—Isopar® available from ExxonMobil Chemical

To prepare the compositions, the materials listed for each run in Table1 were mixed for 2 hours. Following, ECG 150 multi filament fiberglassavailable from Saint-Gobain Vetrotex was coated by a strand coatingprocess. The coating thickness was 50-100 μm and was regulated bysending the yarn through a die. Following coating, curing was carriedout at 180° C. by sending the coated yarn through an oven. The fiberswere woven using a Rapier loom to form a fabric and heat set at 160° C.A basket weave was used with a 5% openness factor.

Fabrics were formed utilizing fiberglass yarn coated with thecomposition of Run 3 or Run 4 as the warp and fiberglass yarn coatedwith a composition of one of Runs 1-6 as the weft. The solar spectra ofeach of these six fabrics was measured using a Perkin Elmer LAMDA 950UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere with a whitebackground and the solar reflectance was calculated according to ASTME-891 in the wavelength range of about 300 to about 2500 nanometers.Results are shown in Table 2, below.

TABLE 2 Warp-Weft fibers (Run No. from Table 1) 3-1 3-2 3-3 3-4 3-5 3-64-2 4-4 4-6 NIR Reflectance 74.0 41.9 71.3 20.9 74.2 24.3 10.1 5.6 6.7Total Solar Reflect. 1 41.5 26.0 38.6 13.7 41.9 15.8 9.5 5.6 6.5

FIG. 1 compares the total solar reflectance from 300 to 2500 nm forthree different fabrics:

(a) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 3

-   -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 3

(b) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 3

-   -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 4

(c) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 4

-   -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 4

FIG. 2 compares the total solar reflectance from 300 to 2500 nm forthree different fabrics:

(a) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 3

-   -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 5    -   (b) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 3    -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 6

(c) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 4

-   -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 6

FIG. 3 compares the total solar reflectance from 300 to 2500 nm forthree different fabrics:

(a) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 3

-   -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 1

(b) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 3

-   -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 2

(c) warp yarn—coated with the composition of Run 4

-   -   weft yarn—coated with the composition of Run 2

As can be seen, a dark fabric formed exclusively of fiberglass coatedwith a composition as disclosed herein can exhibit an NIR reflectance ofover 80%. A fabric utilizing exclusively conventional yarn exhibits muchlower NIR reflectance, while a fabric combining both types of yarnexhibits reflectance between the other two.

Example 2

PVC-based plastisols were prepared as described below in Table 3. Allconcentrations are provided as phr.

TABLE 3 Color Gray Violet PVC resin 100 100 Plasticizer 45 45 stabilizer5 5 Pigment - Lumogen ® FK 4280 1.5 1 Pigment - RED K 3580 2.2 —Pigment - Black S 0084 4 — lubricant 1 1 Flame retardant 3.5 3.5Viscosity Reducing Agent 12 12

Specific components utilized were the same as indicated above in Example1, except the pigments which were as follows

Pigments—All available from BASF

-   -   Lumogee FK 4280—black IR transparent pigment    -   RED K 3580—red IR transparent pigment    -   Black S 0084—black IR transparent pigment

FIG. 4 illustrates IR images of several different fabrics including,from left to right as numbered in the FIG.

-   -   1. Polyester yarn in warp and weft.    -   2. Polyester yarn in warp and weft.    -   3. White yarns in both the warp and weft where white pigment is        ZnS.    -   4. Black yarns in both warp and weft where black pigment is        carbon black.    -   5. Black yarns in both warp and weft where both yarn includes        NIR reflective yarns.    -   6. Black fabric with aluminum coated backing Black yarns wherein        both warp and weft is using carbon black as the pigment.    -   7. Black fabric with aluminum coated backing wherein both warp        and weft is using carbon black as the pigment.

As can be seen, a black fabric formed with fiberglass yarn coated in thedisclosed composition (fabric 5 in FIG. 4) can remain much cooler underIR as compared to other, more conventional fabric made from carbonblack.

Example 3

PVC-based plastisols were prepared as described below in Table 4. Allconcentrations are provided as phr (parts per hundred parts of resin).Six different compositions were formed in three different colors. Foreach color, one composition included at least one IR transparent or IRreflective pigment, and the other included only conventional pigments.

TABLE 4 Composition No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Color Gray Black Dark Brown BlackPVC resin 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Plasticizer 45 45 45 45 45 45 45stabilizer 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Pigment - TPK 103 0.85 — 9.1 — 2.3 — —Pigment - TPK 104 0.32 — 1.4 — — — 2.4 Pigment - TPK 105 — — — — — — 7Pigment - TPR 143 0.32 — 0.26 — 3.4 — — Pigment - TPY 82 — — 0.3 — 3.5 —— Pigment - TPW 12 4.5 — — 1.2 3.5 22 Pigment - TPK 82 — — — 4 — — —Pigment - TPS 196 1.85 — — — — — Pigment - TPN 174 — — — — — 5.9 —lubricant 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Flame retardant 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5Viscosity 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 Reducing Agent

Specific components utilized included:

-   PVC resin—a 40/60 w/w mixture of Lacovyl® PS 1070 and Lacovyl® PB    1302, both available from Arkema.-   Plasticizer—Palatinol® L9P, a linear phthalate plasticizer available    from BASF.-   Stabilizer—Ba, Zn mixed stabilizer available from Acros-   Pigments—All available from Toncee, Inc. of Smyrna, Ga., USA    -   TPK 103—black IR transparent pigment dispersed in diisononyl        phthalate (DINP)    -   TPK 104—black IR transparent pigment dispersed in DINP    -   TPK105—black IR transparent pigment dispersed in D1NP    -   TPR 143—red IR transparent pigment dispersed in DINP    -   TPY 82—yellow IR transparent pigment dispersed in DINP    -   TPW 12—white pigment dispersed in DINP    -   TPK 82—pigment with carbon black dispersed in DINP    -   TPS 196—pigment with carbon black dispersed in DINP    -   TPN 174—pigment with carbon black dispersed in DINP-   Lubricant—SiAk from Wacker Chemie AG-   Flame retardant—White Star N antimony trioxide, available from the    Campine Company of Belgium-   Viscosity reducing agent—Isopar® available from ExxonMobil Chemical

To prepare the compositions, the materials listed for each compositionin Table 3 were mixed for 2 hours. Following, ECG 150 multi filamentfiberglass available from Saint-Gobain Vetrotex was coated to give twolayers of coating by a strand coating process using one or more of thecompositions in Table 4 in each layer. The coating thickness was 50-100μm and was regulated by sending the yarn through a die. In coating, thefirst coating layer was applied and then cured in an oven at 180° C. bysending the coated yarn through the oven. At the oven exit, the secondlayer was applied and then cured in a second oven at 180° C. Following,the hard cured yarn was cooled down in a chilled water bath and wound onto bobbins. The yarns were woven using a Rapier loom to form a fabricand heat set at 160° C. A basket weave was used with a 3% opennessfactor.

Fabrics were formed utilizing fiberglass yarn coated with thecomposition nos. 7 and 3 in the first and second layer, respectively, ortwo layers of composition no. 4 as the warp fibers, and fiberglass yarncoated with one or more compositions of Table 4 with compositions 1-7 asthe weft. The composition of the warp and weft yarn was varied accordingto the composition used for the layer 1 and layer 2 in coating process,and is given as x-x in table 5, where x can vary from 1-7. For example,where the warp yarn is reported as 7-3, the first layer was formed withcomposition 7 as described in Table 4, and the second layer was formedwith composition 3 as described in Table 4. The solar spectra of each ofthese fabrics was measured according to ASTM E 903-96 using a PerkinElmer LAMBDA 950 UV/Vis/NIR Spectrophotometer with an integrating sphereusing a black trap, and the solar reflectance was calculated accordingto ASTM E-891 in the wavelength range of about 300 to about 2500nanometers. Results are shown in Table 5, below.

TABLE 5 Warp:Weft fibers 7-3:1-1 7-3:2-2 7-3:7-3 7-3:4-4 7-3:5-5 7-3:6-64-4:2-2 4-4:4-4 4-4:6-6 NIR Reflectance 57 42 63 27 63 30 11 5 7 TotalSolar Reflect. 1 34 26 35 17 36 19 10 5 7

These and other modifications and variations to the present inventionmay be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which ismore particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, itshould be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may beinterchanged either in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is byway of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention sofurther described in such appended claims.

1. A covering for an architectural opening comprising: a cured polymericcomposition comprising a polymeric resin and a non-white pigment, thepigment being an infrared reflective pigment or an infrared transparentpigment, the cured polymeric composition having a CIELAB L* value ofless than about 90 measured at an observation angle of 25°, the coveringreflecting more than about 15% of impinging solar radiation betweenabout 700 and about 2500 nm.
 2. The covering of claim 1, wherein thecured polymeric composition is a first coating layer on a substrateselected from a fibrous construct, a wood, metal or polymer substrate ora textile.
 3. The covering of claim 1, wherein the cured polymericcomposition is a second coating on a substrate, the covering furthercomprising a first coating between the substrate and the second coating.4. The covering of claim 3, wherein the first coating comprises one ormore white or non-white IR reflective pigments.
 5. The covering of claim3, wherein the first coating is more IR reflective than the secondcoating.
 6. The covering of claim 4, wherein the non-white pigment ofthe second coating is an inorganic infrared reflective pigment.
 7. Thecovering of claim 2, wherein the fibrous construct includes a monofilament or multi filament yarn or staple yarn and/or includes one ormore fibers comprising a glass fiber, a polyester fiber, a polyolefinfiber, a natural fiber, or a combination thereof, wherein the one ormore fibers are mono- or multi-filament fibers or a combination thereof.8. The covering of claim 1, wherein the covering is a window covering.9. The covering of claim 1, wherein the covering reflects more thanabout 50% of impinging solar radiation between about 700 and about 2500nm and/or reflects more than about 25% of all impinging solar radiation.10. The covering of claim 1, wherein the non-white pigment is a blackpigment and/or comprises aluminum.
 11. A method for forming the coveringof claim 1, the method comprising: mixing the polymer resin with thenon-white pigment to form a composition, the pigment being an infraredreflective pigment or an infrared transparent pigment; adjusting theviscosity of the composition such that the composition has a viscosityof less than about 5000 cP as measured with a Brookfield RTV at 20 rpm;coating a substrate with the composition; and curing the composition.12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the composition includesthe non-white pigment in a concentration equal to or less than about 50parts per hundred parts of the polymeric resin.
 13. The method accordingto claim 11, further comprising including a viscosity reducing agent inthe composition.
 14. The method according to claim 11, wherein thepolymer resin comprises reactive monomeric or oligomeric components, themonomeric or oligomeric components polymerizing during the step ofcuring the composition.
 15. A composition for coating a component of anarchitectural opening, the composition comprising: a polymeric resin;and a non-white pigment, the pigment being an infrared reflectivepigment or an infrared transparent pigment; wherein the composition hasa viscosity of less than about 5000 cP as measured with a Brookfield RTVat 20 rpm, and the cured composition has a CIELAB L* value of less thanabout 90 measured at an observation angle of 25°.
 16. The compositionaccording to claim 15, further comprising one or more of a plasticizer,a viscosity reducing agent, or a flame retardant.
 17. The compositionaccording to claim 15, wherein the resin is in the form of an emulsionin an aqueous medium.
 18. The composition according to claim 15, claimswherein the polymeric resin is a polyvinyl chloride resin, a polyolefinresin, a polyester resin, a polyurethane resin, a polylactide resin, anacrylic resin, or a mixture thereof.
 19. The composition according toclaim 15, further comprising additional pigments.
 20. The compositionaccording to claim 15, wherein the non-white pigment is black and/orcomprises aluminum.
 21. The composition according to claim 15, whereinthe polymeric resin is in the form of a plurality of reactive monomers,oligomers, or mixtures thereof, the reactive monomers, oligomers, ormixtures thereof reacting with one another to form a polymer.
 22. Thecovering of claim 2, wherein the substrate comprises aluminum orpoly(vinyl chloride).
 23. The method according to claim 11, wherein theviscosity of the composition is adjusted such that the composition has aviscosity of less than about 2500 cP.
 24. The composition according toclaim 15, wherein the composition has a viscosity of less than about2500 cP.
 25. The composition according to claim 15, wherein thecomposition has a CIELAB L* value of less than about
 70. 26. Thecomposition according to claim 19, wherein the additional pigmentsinclude an interference pigment or carbon black.